Time Continues On
by FlewFroggy
Summary: Trying out a new story plot. Let me know what you think. Naruto characters are 19. Sasuke has finally returned to Konoha. Not following the plot of the Manga. "Sakura could you ever forgive me?" Sasuke asked. "I highly doubt that. Too much time has passed, you may have been able to win over Naruto. But I am not as foolish." Sakura said before walking away.


Sakura Haruno stood on a tree branch over looking the village gates. She could see a lone figure walking in the direction of the village. Tsuande-sama had called her and her team of ANBU to go meet the man. She didn't give any other detail besides that if he was alone to bring him to her. Or if he was with others they where to killed on spot. Sakura had been perched in the same tree for all most two full hours. Her squad was spread out in other trees but had good vision of the individual, each ready to move on their captain's command. Sakura's eyes narrowed behind her wolf mask her hair pulled into a high ponytail blew with the small breeze that passed by. The man was finally identifiable. Sasuke Uchiha was walking in the direction of the village alone.

"GO" Sakura muttered into the walky-talky connected to her neck. Following the directions that the hokage gave to them they surrounded Sasuke and waited for the meeting to commence.

"Uchiha Sasuke, you will be taken into custody from here on out, if you come willingly you shall be taken to the hokage to discuss punishment for abandoning the village."

Sakura paused. "Will you come willingly?" She questioned

"Yes." Sasuke stated in the bored tone. Sakura nodded and watched as Naruto and Neji took a hold of the Uchiha's arms. Sasuke said nothing as they began to walk closer to the village gates before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

They reappeared in front of the hokage. Who was not surprised in the least bit when 7 ANBU and one criminal appeared in her office.

"Well well look who finally decided to come back."

"HN." Sasuke muttered "I have nothing left, I have killed my brother and Orochimaru. I have taken out two of the nation's biggest treats."

"So it seems Sasuke, however there is the issue of you leaving."

"You ANBU can leave." Tsuande said. The ANBU disappeared in puffs of smoke. Though Sasuke was sure that one had not left by the sounds of the puffs. He remembered 7 ANBU but only heard 6 puffs. "Is there something you need captain?" Tsuande questioned. "I wish to inform you hokage-sama that there are reports that have just come in that there is a group of three that are headed towards Konoha. I am leaving shortly to go investigate with my team."

"Alright, wait a minute. Do not leave just yet. Let's wait and see how quickly they are approaching the village."

"Hai" the captain said before disappearing.

"Alright Uchiha who's this group that is heading towards our village?" Tsuande questions.

"It's probably my former team. Team Taka. Karin , Suigetsu, and Juugo, Their probably looking for me since I left last night without word to where I was going." Sasuke explained

"I see, so you have genuinely have come back for good?"Tsuande questioned again.

"Yes, and if possible I would like to rejoin the rankings of Konoha shinobi." Sasuke stated

"You do realize that there are steps that will have to be taken before we can even hope to reinstate you. Let alone get the villagers to believe you as a citizen once again."

"I realize that and I realize that you also will need to consult with the counsel members and they most likely want me dead." Sasuke said.

"True, that is very true, however there is one thing I should tell you." Sasuke raised an eye brow. "You should sit down." Sasuke did. "Your brother was sent to kill the Uchiha clan on orders of the counsel members. Itachi had asked Sarutobi to keep this a secret and that he was leaving the village. On terms with this decision he agreed. They both new that you would eventually leave to go after your brother. So they created this."Tsuande tossed a scroll towards Sasuke. Sasuke opened the scroll and skimmed through its contents. "It states that in the event that Uchiha Itachi kills his clan, that his brother is to leave the village and kill Itachi Uchiha. Since that day that you left it was stamped as an ongoing mission." "This scroll will only be used as long as you answer all of my questions truthfully. Understood?" "Yes" Sasuke replied as he handed the scroll back to the hokage.

Questions...

"Have you during your 'mission' killed any Konoha shinobi? Tsuande asked.

"No" Sasuke replied

"How did you kill Orochimaru?"

"I fought him. In the end I stabbed him through the chest and I beheaded him."

"Did you burn his body?"

"No"

"Damn..."

"Why?

"Never mind, you'll learn later on why."

"Next how did you kill Itachi?"

"The same way, and no I did not burn his body either."

"What did you do with their bodies then?"

"Orochimaru's body was crushed in the collapse of his sound base. I buried my brother out of respect for my family."

"Where did you bury your brother?" Tsuande asked with urgency in her voice.

"In Ame. I'm no certain as to the exact location anymore."

"Where's Kabuto?"

"He ran off somewhere a month before I killed Orochimaru."

"Are you after the village counsel, even knowing that they put your brother on that mission?"

"Would I like to have their blood on my hands? Yes, will I kill them soon? No."

"Why?"

"Because I would rather not be a criminal again." Sasuke muttered looking down.

Tsuande chuckled. "Alright, so when you left, what rank where you?"

"Genin, testing for chuunin."

"Who where your team mates?"

"Naruto and Sakura."

"Mmh." Tsuande grunted as she continued to writ everything down on paper.

"Teacher?"

"Kakashi"

"Girlfriend?"

"None, unless you try and count the fan club I used to have."

Tsuande nodded "Do you still have the curse seal?"

"Yes"

Tsuande frowned.

"Ok, I want that removed as soon as possible." "How?" "Sakura, she has done a study on it and was able to remove Anko's curse seal successfully without any additional problems."

"She's a medic now?" "Yes and no." She is a medic but only usually helps out at the hospital when needed. She is usually in the field with Naruto and the others."

"Others?"

"Yes the rookie 11 well 12 when you are officially back, have all moved up in the world of ninja ranks."

"I see. I forgot that while I was away they wouldn't stay the same."

"Where you counting on zero change? Do you really believe after nearly seven years there would be no change?" "No, I just hope that everything didn't change." Sasuke admitted.

"Well seeing as how you are the real Sasuke Uchiha, this mission is now marked as completed." Tsuande said as she stamped the scroll with the approval stamp.

"Shizune" Tsuande yelled.

"Yes lady Tsuande?" she questioned

"Lets go, we need to test Uchiha's skills as a ninja and determine the status he will be given." "Who should I go get?" She questioned. "No one, I am going to have this fight." Sasuke raised an eyebrow "Do you think that is wise?" He questioned "Yes I have not had a sparring session in months I need to stretch." Tsuande said.

The three of them went down to the hokage's private training grounds beneath the hokage tower.

The two ninja's stood in the middle of the area and prepared to fight. "You are not to kill me as I will not kill you. If you do kill me ANBU will be after you and you will be killed on sight till the day you die. Understood?"

"Hai" Sasuke said. The two swiftly began to fight. Sasuke engaged Tsuande in a Tai- justu fight to began with though when she made motion to punch him in the face, he dodge but didn't leap out of the way fast enough to avoid a charka enhanced kick to the side. Sasuke went flying in the direction of a nearby wall. Tsuande approached the Uchiha as he stood. His sharingan was activated and a smirk on his face, he was quick to for the seals for the grand fireball justu. Tsuande leap out of the way at the last moment before having to dodge several kunai that came through the flames. Tsuande tried closing in on the Uchiha, however he kept his distance. The fight continued for another 20 minutes before and ANBU appeared. Halting the fight. "Tsuande-sama" The ninja spoke. "Captain-sama, wishes for me to inform you that the group of three have been identified as the members of team taka." "I see, Alright. Go get me Naruto Uzamaki." The ninja disappears in a puff of smoke. "Naruto is an ANBU Sasuke and I am going to be placing you on the same team as him. You will go with that ANBU group to see your 'former' teammates. Based on the way that the situation is handled, you will either be permitted or denied reentry to the village. Understood?"

"Hai."

"Yo baba-chan you wanted to see me?" Naruto asked as he entered the training area. "Hey Sasuke-teme your back?" Naruto asked pretending to be surprised.

"Hn, dobe.""So what's up?" "Naruto you and the ANBU squad are going out to meet with the remaining members of team taka. They should either be killed on spot or taken to Ikabi. Understood?" "Hai, is this going to be jounin or ANBU?" "ANBU." "And teme's uniform?" "Right here" Shizune said stepping up to the two men, and handing Sasuke the bag with ANBU gear in it. "Alright common teme we gotta go " Naruto said as he began to pull Sasuke from the arena to go to meet up with the rest of the team.

"Well what do you think Sakura?" Tsuande asked as and the female stepped forward into the light. Wolf mask on the side of her head. An emotional mask on her face not letting the hokage know what was going on inside of her mind. "Well see how he and his 'team' work out in the forest." She said. Tsuande nodded and Sakura disappeared.

With Naruto and Sasuke.

"Hey teme what mask did you get?" Naruto asked. Sasuke dug in the bag and pulled out a mask. "Coyote" Sasuke said staring at the mask. He was surprised that he wasn't given the snake mask. But then again he was happy to not to be a reminder of his deflect to sound and to the snake sanni. "That cool teme, I'm fox" Naruto said a grin on his face. "So are you the captain of the squad that is going out with us?" Sasuke asked, "Nah, I am co-captain though." "I see, what rank is the squad?" Sasuke asked. "1st" Naruto replied of handedly. "Who else is on the squad?" Sasuke asked. "Can't tell you that teme. You gotta have them tell you, you know."

"Where going to the meeting place know so we gotta stop and get you changed." Naruto said. They boys ended up stopping at Naruto's place so both of them could get changed. The boys made their way to the meeting spot. A tree that was close to the gates yet still towards the out skirts of town. The two jumped up into the tree to be greeted with 5 ANBU ninja.

"Hey guys!" Naruto said loudly. "This is Sasuke Uchiha he will be with us today on this mission to see if he can handle being a Konoha shinobi again." Naruto said with a grin. "Sasuke noted that the masks where similar to the ones that had brought him to the hokages tower in the first place. "Well look who finally decided to come back to the village." The hawk face ANBU said. "I'm surprised that Tsuande feels that you could be trusted" The butterfly mask ANBU spoke.

"Guys stop, he is still our friend, be civil at least." Naruto tried to reason. "Please he is not our friend."The panda mask ANBU spoke. Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Guy's be nice, give Uchiha-san a chance to redeem himself." The Rabbit mask ANBU spoke. "See can't you guys be civil like rabbit?" Naruto asked. "Now before captain gets her let's do intros. 'kay?" Naruto said. The others nodded, and looked to each other. Silently asking who is going first. "The deer mask ANBU sighed and took off his mask. Names Shikamaru, I'm the stratagest for this team. And head stratagest for the village. On missions you call me deer." Sasuke nodded. "I'm Ino, I'm referred to butterfly on missions." Ino continued. "I'm TenTen, I'm the weapons expert on missions. You can call me Panda." "I'm Hinata you can call me rabbit, I'm the medic." "Neji, Hawk." Naruto sweat dropped at Neji's intro. "Who's the captain?" Sasuke asked.

"Not here, Duh." Ino said. "She's coming." Hinata said, as she replaced her mask. The others following suit. Including Naruto and Sasuke. A female ninja appeared in front of them.

"Captain." Naruto stated. "This is-" "I know." The captain said cutting Naruto off. "I'm the captain. You follow every command I give without questions. Understood." "Hn" Sasuke grunted. "Let's go"

The group of eight took off towards the village gates, and quickly flew through. "We are going to stop the remaining members of team taka before they get any closer to the village. It seems as if they are looking for Sasuke, they had not killed anyone yet but we will apprehend them and bring them to Ikabi. If they attack first and choose not to come with us they are to be killed." a murmur of hai's where heard. while some grunted in acknowledgement.

They neared the clearing, Sasuke had told them that Karin probably knew that they where coming since she is a chakra tracker. The team took precautions and masked their chakra. They surrender the group of three. All dropping to the forest floor in sync. "Team taka" the captain spoke. "You have gotten too close to the village and we have been sent to either kill you or take you into custody. ""Where's Sasuke-kun he left us last night where did he go?" Karin asked. "He's with you I can sense his chakra." She added. "She's right he is with you... Sasuke your ANBU?" Suigetsu asked. looking directly towards the coyote masked ANBU. Karin whipped her head in that said direction. "S-s-sasuke-kun w-whats going on." "Hn. don't put up a fight if you want to live." Sasuke said irritated behind his mask. Although he was glad she had yet to cling onto him. "We shall go with you" Said Juugo. He held out his wrists to the nearest ANBU, which happened to be TenTen. She put chakra depleting cuffs on him and Neji and Shikamaru put cuffs on Karin and Suigetsu as well. They began walking back towards Konoha silently.


End file.
